Tech Today: Yesterday Apple Talked iPhone

Yesterday Apple Talked iPhone: At their product event yesterday Apple introduced the iPhone 4S, a device similar in shape to its predecessor, but with a faster chip, better camera and voice activated personal assistant software.

The roll-out came as a surprise to many observers who were expecting an iPhone 5 with a redesigned body. Until the end of yesterday’s event, many waited for the “and there’s one more thing” announcement that has become a mainstay at previous Apple events. It did not happen.

Wall Street reacted negatively to the news, with share prices dropping. Meanwhile the Wall Street Journal wrote that the new iPhone “fails to wow.”

But the new iPhone has its defenders. “Apple watchers will remember Apple pulled a similar move going from the iPhone 3G to the 3GS,” writes CNET. Like last time, the iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S move has produced a zippier processor and better camera.

ReadWriteWeb points out that Apple’s success lies in taking existing technology and making it consumer friendly. Noting that the new iPhone does not include Near Field Communication (NFC), the blog writes, “Why is there no NFC in the iPhone 4S? Because it is not a mature technology.”

That being said many note the revolutionary potential of Siri, the iPhone 4S’s voice recognition assistant. “Siri could be spoken in the voice of Gilbert Goddfried or Fran Drescher and I wouldn’t care. As long as she does all cool things Apple says she’ll do, it doesn’t really matter,” writes TechCrunch. [CNET, WSJ, Digits / WSJ, This is My Next, Apple, Ars Technica, BoyGeniusReport]

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